DFS Alerts
Derrick Rose (ankle) will not play Sunday, despite being listed as active
Rose went through pregame warmups and was listed as active for Sunday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, but he reportedly will miss his second consecutive game with a sore left ankle. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves failed to announce this news prior to the game’s individual lock time, so Rose is unable to be swapped out on late-swap sites. Meanwhile, head coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed earlier at shootaround that Jimmy Butler would not play in tonight’s contest due to precautionary rest. In Butler’s absence, Josh Okogie will draw yet another start at the shooting guard spot and has flashed some upside in 28.3 minutes per game since entering Thibodeau’s rotation. Tyus Jones is set to start a second straight game at point guard in place of Jeff Teague, and he is coming off of a stellar fantasy performance for his price in 40 minutes of action despite shooting just 3-11 for from the field.
Kawhi Leonard (ankle, rest) out Sunday; OG Anunoby will start
Leonard has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers due to what’s been classified as a jammed left ankle. Head coach Nick Nurse already confirmed with reporters following Saturday’s practice that the team plans to continue resting Leonard in one game of back-to-back sets until further notice, so his unavailability is likely more related to that than an actual serious injury. In his absence, OG Anunoby will draw the start at small forward and should see a notable bump playing time given his defensive abilities and multiple position versatility. Unsurprisingly, Kyle Lowry has seen the largest boost in production with Leonard sidelined, as he’s averaged 1.52 DraftKings and 1.51 FanDuel fantasy points per minute with a 28.0% usage rate (+6.2%) without him on the court this season.
As reported by: Blake Murphy via Twitter Shelvin Mack (thumb) and Omri Casspi (thigh) available to play Sunday
Mack and Casspi have both officially been upgraded from probable and will be available to play in Sunday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns due to a sore left thumb and sore right thigh, respectively. Mack has averaged nearly 26 minutes as the primary backup point guard, but Casspi has struggled to find the court in J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotation and has been limited to just 13 minutes at the backup forward positions. Mack is still cheap enough to be viable as punt option in tournaments on most nights that lack obvious value plays, such as tonight, and has exceeded salary-based expectations in two consecutive games.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Omri Casspi T.J. Warren (back) out Sunday
Warren has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies due to lower back spasms. Warren has started the last two games at power forward, but with him unavailable, Ryan Anderson will reclaim the starting spot even if just for one game. Despite his new bench role, Anderson still led the reserves with 25 minutes in the Suns previous game while Warren was limited to just 23 minutes. Rookie Mikal Bridges appears to have passed Josh Jackson in the rotation for the time being, as he’s logged more minutes in three of the last four games and will be one the main beneficiaries in terms of playing time with Warren sidelined this evening.
As reported by: Evan Sidery via Twitter Jonathan Isaac (ankle) out Sunday; Jonathon Simmons (wrist) available to play
Isaac has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to a sprained right ankle, while Simmons will return from a one-game absence because of a right wrist contusion. In Isaac’s absence, Wesley Iwundu will enter the starting lineup at small forward but isn’t in strong consideration for daily fantasy formats despite logging 31 minutes with Simmons unavailable in the Magic’s previous game. Terrance Ross also figures to see an increased minute workload as the reserve small forward. Ross’ minutes on a game-to-game basis directly correlates to his performance on the floor, as head coach Steve Clifford hasn’t shied away from riding the hot hand if Ross is playing well. Without Isaac available, he makes for an intriguing tournament with an elevated minute floor and has an achievable ceiling at his price point across the industry.
As reported by: John Denton via Twitter Other tagged players: Jonathon Simmons Rudy Gay (heel) officially out Sunday
Gay has officially downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to a sore right heel. As expected, head coach Gregg Popovich hasn’t provided any hints as to who would replace him in the starting lineup, and there’s certainly a number of different combinations he could end up rolling out this evening. Davis Bertans appears to be a likely candidate given the matchup with a lengthy and athletic Magic frontcourt, but he’ll be in line for extra minutes along with Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli regardless of the starting lineup. Unsurprisingly, DeMar DeRozan has seen the largest boost in production with Gay off the court this season and is averaging 1.47 DraftKings and 1.49 FanDuel points per minute with a 38.6% usage rate in the scenario.
As reported by: Michael C. Wright via Twitter Otto Porter (toe) out Sunday
Porter has officially been downgraded from questionable and will not play in Sunday’s matchup against the New York Knicks due to a bruised left big toe he sustained in the first half of Friday’s loss. He was able to return in that game, but without Porter available tonight, Kelly Oubre will enter the starting lineup at small forward and should provide an excellent source of value since he already plays between 25-28 minutes when Porter is healthy. His minute floor should be notably higher this evening, and Oubre is averaging 0.96 DraftKings and 0.94 FanDuel points per minute with a 25.0% usage rate without Porter on the court this season. Bradley Beal hasn’t really converted on his increased usage sans Porter to this point, but he does own a 37.3% usage rate in this scenario, making him an intriguing tournament target.
As reported by: the Washington Wizards via Twitter Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) probable Sunday; Maurice Harkless (knee) remains out
Nurkic has officially been listed as probable for Sunday’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a sprained left wrist, while Harkless will miss his fifth consecutive game because of a sore left knee and remains without a timetable for his return. Nurkic’s playing time can be erratic on a nightly basis, though he has averaged 29 minutes over the last two games, and he and the rest of the Trail Blazers draw an advantageous matchup with a Jimmy Butler-less Timberwolves squad this evening. Nurkic has averaged 1.29 DraftKings and 1.31 FanDuel points per minute with a 25.7% usage rate, which keeps him in play as a viable tournament target on most slates across the industry.
As reported by: Jamie Hudson via Twitter Other tagged players: Maurice Harkless Slow Pace, No Problem
Yes, Ayton is a rookie, but from a fantasy perspective he has been a pretty steady producer. Phoenix has been playing at a slower pace since he arrived and the game should be a fairly slow paced one tonight against Memphis. There have just been too many positive signs to ignore though. Ayton has scored 30+ fpts in 6 of 8 games, and 40+ in 5 of 8. He has shown tremendous upside since entering the league, is a great rebounder, and is very fairly priced for the matchup. His usage is at 21.5% and is averaging 1.18 per minute. Despite the matchup Ayton is a dynamic play on this slate, and may get overlooked.
Jimmy Butler (rest) out Sunday; Derrick Rose (ankle) probable
Head coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed with reporters at shootaround that Butler will not play in Sunday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to precautionary rest, while Rose has been upgraded to probable with a sore left ankle but will be a game-time decision. In Butler’s absence, Josh Okogie will draw yet another start at the shooting guard spot and has flashed some upside in 28.3 minutes per game since entering Thibodeau’s rotation. Tyus Jones is set to start a second straight game at point guard in place of Jeff Teague, and he is coming off of a stellar fantasy performance for his price in 40 minutes of action despite shooting just 3-11 for from the field. However, his minute workload shouldn’t be quite as robust with Rose more likely to play than not.
As reported by: Timberwolves PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Derrick Rose Rudy Gay (heel) doubtful Sunday
Gay has officially been listed as doubtful and appears unlikely to play in Sunday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to a sore right heel. As expected, head coach Gregg Popovich hasn’t provided any hints as to who would replace him in the starting lineup, and there’s certainly a number of different combinations he could end up rolling out this evening. Davis Bertans appears to be a likely candidate given the matchup with a lengthy and athletic Magic frontcourt, but he’ll be in line for extra minutes along with Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli regardless of the starting lineup. Unsurprisingly, DeMar DeRozan has seen the largest boost in production with Gay off the court this season and is averaging 1.47 DraftKings and 1.49 FanDuel points per minute with a 38.6% usage rate in the scenario.
As reported by: JeffGSpursZone via Twitter Wilson Chandler (rest) listed out Sunday
Chandler has been listed as out on the most recent version of the Sixers’ injury report and will not play in Sunday’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets due to rest purposes on the second leg of a back-to-back set. Chandler is being brought along slowly as he works his way back from a strained left hamstring, so even though he was limited to just nine minutes in Saturday’s win, the team still doesn’t want him playing consecutive days for the time being. His absence will free up some extra playing time for Mike Muscala, Amir Johnson, and Landry Shamet in the second unit but nothing substantial enough to drastically improve their fantasy projections this evening.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Re-Building Our DFS Trust?
I know he burned all of us just four days ago, but it’s time to forgive and forget. The price tag remains very cheap at under $5,000 on both the major sites for Tyus Jones, so that is a good start. We need value, and he provides it. Jones returned and entered the starting lineup the other night with Jeff Teague out against the Warriors, and Jones played 40 minutes in that one while topping 30 fantasy points. He did that with a nice all-around 8/5/9 line while adding a pair of steals, so the potential is there. Tonight, the Wolves might be without Rose and/or Butler as well. Even if both of them play, we can safely project Jones for about 32-34 minutes. If Rose and Butler are both out, who else is going to run the point for this team? This is a perfect spot for Jones to provide redemption for those who are willing to trust him. Put your bias from Wednesday aside, even though that is difficult!
Thriving Without DeRozan
With DeMar DeRozan no longer around to hog shots, Kyle Lowry has experienced a nice bump in production. The offense flows much better with Kawhi Leonard in there instead of DeRozan alongside Lowry. It’s also worth noting that Leonard might sit tonight, which would leave Lowry to carry the load offensively. The matchup is great against a Lakers team that ranks 3rd in the NBA in pace and 22nd in the NBA in defensive efficiency, so there should be plenty of points available to be scored. Lowry has been much more efficient with his shot this year and actually ranks inside the top 40 in the league in both player efficiency rating and true shooting percentage. This matchup provides a great chance for him to build on that early season success.
Time For The Big Man To Step Up
Dwight Howard finally made his Wizards debut the other night, and he was pretty much the only player on the team to show up in a lopsided home loss to the Thunder, a loss which dropped the Wizards to 1-7 on the year. He scored 20 points over 23 minutes in that game and will be playing without minutes restrictions moving forward. The Wizards really need to get on a roll, and they need their big man active. This is a nice spot against the weak New York front line, and the only thing that held him back in the last game was the blowout nature of the game. The price tag is very palatable on both DK and FDRAFT, and Howard gets himself into the core play conversation at those salaries.